Tackling child poverty and ensuring disadvantaged children's access to Early Childhood Education and Care

Within the framework of this EU-funded initiative, a comprehensive research and analysis project aimed at combating child poverty and improving access for disadvantaged children to early childhood education and care is enabled. A consortium of at least three independent institutions from different EU or associated countries – including educational institutions, companies, non-profit and public organizations – will receive 100% funding over 36 months. The objective is to determine EU-specific data on the costs of child poverty and the long-term returns of high-quality early childhood education services. Particular importance is given to identifying effective policies that close the participation gap, as well as developing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers at the EU, national, and regional levels. Personnel costs, material expenses, travel costs, subcontractor fees, and data management costs are eligible for funding. Costs for real estate, retrospective expenses, or debt settlement are excluded.

The project workflow is divided into analyses, policy comparisons, and practice-oriented modeling, accompanied by ethical review and data security requirements. Innovation level, scientific excellence, potential for societal benefit, and feasibility will be evaluated. Research teams may utilize existing data – including administrative datasets – or conduct new data collection; experts from academia and practice, especially those affected, will be involved in method development and validation. The full proposal must be submitted exclusively in English by 23 September 2026. Accompanying dissemination and communication strategies will ensure that results are rapidly integrated into policy decision-making processes and that sustainable approaches for an inclusive, socially just educational landscape are established.